Strawberries & Cigarettes
by PaperBlossoms
Summary: "That young and sweet as pie farmer's daughter you got in there? Yeah, she's all shacked up with her redneck biker boyfriend that we're always trying to arrest. Just in case you didn't know." /./ or Rick Grimes is having a very bad day. AU. No zombies.
1. Chapter 1

…

Rick Grimes was not having a good day.

It'd started out since the moment he'd woken up.

Or, before that, if one wanted to be very technical about it.

Judith had been going through a tough bout of colic and she'd kept him and Lori up every night this week, crying her little lungs out with a force he'd never been aware a one month-old could possess. When, after an hour of bouncing her and fervently begging and pleading and using every trick they could think of to soothe her and the infant _still_ refused to go down, Rick had sent his exhausted wife back to bed, staying in his baby girl's nursery to rock her to sleep and fully resigning himself to another night without rest. It'd been past three in the morning when he'd finally gotten her to settle down, her soft little coos and deep breaths confirming that she was finally fast asleep.

It was about the same time he thanked all his lucky stars that they'd have some much-needed and appreciated help come morning.

Lori's pregnancy had been a tentative and high-risk one. She'd been going through an enormous amount of stress right before she'd gotten pregnant, what, with him being in a coma after a gunshot wound at work and all that, and after he'd woken up and began to recover they'd both been so overwhelmed and overjoyed that they'd been more than a little lax when it came to using adequate protection during their intimacy.

Judith had been on her way quickly after.

_Quickly_, being the key word.

So quickly, in fact, that she had not been positioned correctly when Lori's water broke, causing all sorts of complications during the labor that'd put them through the most terrifying times Rick had ever faced. Lori had coded, gone from the world for a few seconds that had felt like an eternity in the sheriff's mind. He's not ashamed to admit that he still woke up scared sometimes, nearly jumping out of their bed in a haste to verify that she was still there; still peacefully lying beside him while their baby slept in her nursery and their son slept in the next room down.

She'd been the same tough and strong woman he'd fallen in love with: the same one that he knew would never let anything stand in the way of their family, and she had pulled through for all of them, just like he knew she would.

But that didn't mean she didn't need a little help, which came in the shape of a petite young woman with a love for music and books.

Now, Beth Greene was a godsend.

She'd knocked on their door the week that Judith and Lori returned from the hospital and Rick had been shocked to find a blonde girl he'd never seen before in his life waiting patiently on his front porch. She had her long hair pulled back into a ponytail and her eyes were wide and blue. She was wearing a white sundress with lilac roses on it and well-worn pair of boots, and even though there was absolutely nothing about this girl that seemed dangerous, his instincts as a sheriff with over a decade of experience under his belt had kicked in and he'd been quick to scan her and her surroundings for any signs of a threat that she might spot.

Which was right about the time his gaze had landed on his son, standing right behind the girl with a grin on his face the size of Georgia.

"Hey Dad, did you forget something?" Carl had teased him without malice, passing through the door and inviting the pretty blonde in as well.

"I don't mean to intrude," she'd began to explain, lifting a hand to smooth down a few wayward curls that'd slipped out of her ponytail. "It's just that your son had been sitting outside the music store I work in for a couple of hours already, waiting to be picked up, and I offered to bring him home after my shift ended."

Realization dawned on him, and Rick had wanted to bang his head against the wall. That's right; he was supposed to have picked up Carl from the comic book store hours ago and he'd been so overwhelmed that he'd completely blanked out.

"Oh, Dear Lord," he'd groaned out, embarrassment flourishing as a deep blush on his cheeks. "Thank you for your kindness, Miss…?"

"Beth," she'd filled in. "Beth Greene."

"Miss Greene," he'd confirmed, before attempting to explain how he, the sheriff deputy in charge protecting and serving his community, had managed to forget his own teenage son out in the middle of town. "I know it's no excuse, but my wife and I just had a little girl and it's been harder than we imagined getting back into the synch of caring for a newborn."

Rick was half-expecting her to scoff at his excuse, Lord knew he'd done it to his fair share of people over the years, but instead a wide smile blooms on her face at the mention of a baby. "It's okay, Mr. Grimes, I completely understand. My sister, Maggie, had her son a year ago and he made his presence known when they went to stay at the farm for a few days after he was born. Her husband, Glenn, he looked very much like you do at this particular moment."

Rick cringed.

He knows what a spectacle he must have looked like. He'd been wearing a pair of old gray sweatpants and his once white t-shirt was marred with half a dozen questionable stains. He hadn't had the will to muster up the effort to run a comb through his hair all day and he knew there was a heavy stubble on his face and jaw from his lack of shaving in the past two weeks. His eyes had more than likely been bloodshot from the lack of sleep and everything about him yelled out his exhaustion.

But her ribbing had been good-natured and there's something so familiar about the way her eyes sparkle with joy and mischief when she smiles that Rick can't help but question how tired he must be to not have realized who this girl was the moment she'd introduced herself. Images of the older farmer with two young daughters and a son who lived about an hour outside of town had flooded his mind and he knew that his suspicions would be proven true.

"Beth, is Hershel Greene your father, by any chance?"

She'd nodded. "That's my Daddy."

"He's a good man, and a friend of mine. God, the last time I saw you, you were still a little girl running around in the back yard. I didn't know that both his daughters had moved out of home already."

A blush makes its way up her cheeks, and Rick doesn't miss the way she shyly averts her gaze a little, as if embarrassed by the subject of conversation. "My daddy said the same about you, sir. He told me to be sure to contact you if I ever ran into any trouble when I moved here a couple of months ago, but everything has thankfully been working out in my favor."

Rick had invited her to stay for dinner then, feeling he owed the girl at least a warm meal after she'd taken the time and kindness of bringing his son home, a feeling which was only reaffirmed when he remembered how this woman was the same little girl who would run out to offer him a glass of lemonade back when he was a brand new officer and her daddy's farm had fallen under his jurisdiction. She'd agreed, but asked to be excused as she made a phone call to inform her boyfriend that she would be out later than anticipated.

After dinner Beth had offered to pass by to help out in the mornings, noticing the way that his wife struggled to move around and the even more blatant way that Rick seemed to be going out of his mind. She'd explained that she had a lot of experience caring for babies and that she didn't mind spending her free time anywhere that she was needed, specially not if she managed to help out one of her family's friends along the way.

Lori had been instantly taken with her.

Beth was the epitome of a southern belle, born and raised. She was polite and well-mannered, always willing to offer a helping hand and not afraid to get dirty. She was bright and never dull and she had a teasing sense of humor that was always used in good taste and managed to leave them all shocked with how witty and full of spirit the girl really was underneath all the sweetness.

Carl, after knowing her for two weeks, swore he was in love with her.

He'd happily sit on the kitchen counter for hours on end, making conversation with the girl and staring at her as she'd moved around helping to cook dinner or fixing something for Judith. His parents had also noted that the boy had suddenly developed an intense desire to exceed in school, demanding help on every subject, and self-assigning Beth as his personal tutor.

Rick, for his part, had never been so happy to have someone new come into his life. He was set to return to work a month after Judith was born and he'd spent the entire time worrying that it would turn out to be impossible. Lori was struggling and he knew it tore her down to not be able to physically move and take care of her children at times. He'd returned from the store on more than one occasion to find his wife with tears of sadness and frustration streaming down her cheeks as Judith cried from her spot safe in her cradle.

But Beth was there now, and everybody in the Grimes household was aware that she'd been wrapped around his daughter's tiny finger the moment the blonde had laid eyes on her. She'd been absolutely engrossed with the little girl and Rick knew that Beth would never let or cause any harm to his daughter. He could go back to work and start providing for his family again while being reassured that they'd be safe and looked after.

Which is why he can't understand why now, on what had turned out to be an admittedly horrible and stressful first day back at work, his partner decided to shake his shoulder hard enough to nearly dislocate it the moment they'd pull into the driveway to his home and they'd spotted Beth making her way back inside.

"What the hell, Shane!"

The man in question ignores him, though, scrunching his eyes as if he were trying to figure out a complicated puzzle. "Who was that girl that just went into your house?"

"Her name is Beth," Rick answers, narrowing his eyes at his partner but having known him long enough to know that it's best to pick his battles when it came to dealing with his best friend. "She's been helping us out with Judith and a couple of things around the house."

The grin that flashes across Shane's face, full of glee and humor and disbelief, is enough to put Rick on edge.

"What exactly do you know about this girl?"

"She's Hershel Greene's daughter, you remember him? She just moved out here a couple of months ago. She's a sweet girl."

"Oh, yeah, real sweet," Shane agrees, his tone dripping with sarcasm but even then he can't keep the laughter out of his voice. "Have you ever asked her about the company she keeps? I mean, since she's basically part of the family now and all that."

Rick arches an eyebrow at that, leaning back against his seat to cast a more serious look at his partner. "Beth's a smart girl and she's free to be friends with whoever she wants. She mentioned she has a boyfriend but it's none of my business to scoop into her personal life. Now, where are you going with this?"

Shane imitates his post, leaning back against his seat and crossing his arms behind his head.

"See now, Rick, that's where you and I disagree. See I think you should most definitely find out everything you can about this girl, just in case you want to make sure that you're keeping all bad company away."

Sometimes, he was really tired of the way his partner could stir all this shit up out of nothing.

"Spit it out, Shane."

Shane pauses, apparently deciding it was finally the right time to gift him with his wisdom. "What do you know about her and the Dixons?"

Now that was a name Rick really hated hearing. Anywhere it went, trouble was sure as hell bound to follow. That family had been a thorn in the town's side for the past seventy years or so, each generation getting rougher and grittier and more criminal than the last. To hear Shane mention them so casually, especially in relation to someone as sweet and young and innocent as Beth was enough to send all kinds of warning bells blaring right through his brain.

And then he remembered one of the more disturbing tendencies of that family.

"Please don't tell me that she's complained about Merle Dixon bothering her already. I swear to God, one day I'm gonna find a reason to keep him in jail until the end of time."

Rick is not impressed by the bark of laughter that Shane lets out.

"That ain't the brother you have to worry about."

He frowns, remembering the younger Dixon. He finds it odd that Shane would even bring him up, although he knows there's no love lost between the two men. While Daryl had managed to stay out of trouble for the most part, Merle had not, and Shane had taken a particularly vicious glee out of making sure that both brothers knew they weren't welcomed in _his_ town. They'd been bumping heads for the past fifteen years, each determined to one-up the other at every twist and turn.

"Daryl isn't one to be bothering any girls."

"That's because he ain't bothering her," Shane explains, and the glint is planted firmly back in his eyes. "It's kind of hard to be bothering her when he's too busy banging her instead."

What in the actual hell?

"Bullshit," Rick immediately calls out, grounding his teeth together. "Beth is about as good and pure as they come. You're bullshitting me right now. Not to even mention that she's nearly half his age."

But Shane will not let up, throwing back his head in laughter at the situation his partner now found himself in, no doubt waiting for the rain of headaches his theory is likely to bring down on him if proven to be true.

"That young and sweet as pie farmer's daughter you got in there? Yeah, she's all shacked up with her redneck biker boyfriend that we're always trying to arrest. Just in case you didn't know."

He's going to argue. He's going to tell Shane to take his bullshit stories and save them for the bar or for some rookie deputy who doesn't know about his tendency for telling tall-tales, but is interrupted when the loud roar of a motorcycle cuts through the air of his quiet and peaceful neighborhood, only to grow louder and louder as the seconds pass by.

Then there he is, Daryl Dixon, with his torn jeans and plaid shirt and leather vest; pulling up besides his police car and not bothering to get off his bike or even acknowledge the officers sitting inside of it as he stares at the door. It opens a few seconds later and out comes Beth Greene with her skinny jeans and her cowboy boots and the biggest smile Rick has ever seen her give anybody dedicated to the man waiting for her on his driveway.

And Rick knows that everything Shane just said, while probably embellished, is absolutely true.

God, he's gonna need a drink tonight.

…

**AN: Hey all! **

**I hope you all liked the story! It's inspired by all the amazing ones I've been reading on here lately. I figured this week has been heartbreaking enough without adding more angst to the fire. This is going to stay light and fluffy and it's all about the happy endings. **

**Also, there just isn't a place in any reality where somebody could keep Beth and Judith away from each other.**

**Let me know if you like it, and I'll keep posting. Don't forget to review! **


	2. Chapter 2

…

"Did you know about this?"

They've already finished dinner and are sitting on the comfortable tan couches in their living room when Rick decided to bring up the impending conversation about Beth with her. Judith, for once, decided to grant her parents a night of peace and quiet and she was already tucked in and fast asleep in her crib upstairs. At the same time, Carl was already inside his room engrossed in his latest stack of comic books before heading off to bed. Lori guesses that Rick had figured this was as good a time as any.

She understands him; really, she does.

Beth Greene showing up at their door when she did had been one of the best things that could have happened to their family. The girl was smart and sweet and even though she was only twenty years old, she had undeniable sense of self-awareness and a mothering touch to boot. She was a natural with children, and Lori would not deny that it warmed her heart to see her carrying and singing Judith to sleep or helping Carl with his homework or helping her cook dinner for her family when her body hurt too much to move.

Lori was not stupid or naïve. She was acutely aware of how close she'd come to being gone and leaving Rick to be a single parent to a teenaged boy and a newborn baby girl.

It had been a close call; too close for any of their comforts and they'd all been reminded for the second time in as many years just how quickly everything could change. It eased a heavy burden off her shoulders and gave her a sense of peace to know that if she was ever to be gone, if anything were to happen to her and she couldn't be there for her family, there'd be somebody who could care for them in her stead. Lori felt in her heart, without a doubt, that Beth would be there to help guide her family and offer her comfort and support.

Lori knew that Rick felt the same way. He'd taken up a protective streak over the girl, looking at her with the same kindness and pride that he did his own children. He'd ask her about her father and sister and invite her along for family dinners out in town and he'd made sure to keep an eye out for her in case she needed anything now that she was living on her own and far away from her farm.

Which was exactly what led to their current dilemma.

Rick saw Beth as a little girl; the sweet daughter of an old friend and someone to be looked after and protected. It was as if his mind couldn't adapt to the growth that had taken place over the last decade and he refused to accept that the youngest Greene sister wasn't so little anymore; she was an adult who was more than capable of making her own decisions. He couldn't understand how this sweet and hopeful girl could be with a man nearly twice her age with an infamous reputation of being a criminal.

Still, that doesn't give her husband the right to snap at her because he's feeling conflicted over what to do.

"Sorry," he apologizes, knowing that his tone was perhaps a bit too demanding due to his current state of shock. "It's just, I can't believe that Beth is dating Daryl Dixon."

Lori's glare softens, and instead she allows herself to feel a wave of undeniable sympathy for the father of her children. "She's not just dating him, Rick; she's already living with him, at least, if what Shane said is true."

Beside her, Rick cringes, scrunching his eyebrows so much that a thin ridge becomes visible in his forehead. "I just don't see how that's possible. Beth is so sweet and young; pretty, too, and she could date any boy her age. What in the world is she doing with a Dixon?"

"None of us really know him," she reminds him, strengthening her voice in order to make sure that her husband is really listening to her and understands that she is serious. "We both agreed that Beth is a smart girl; she's got a good and leveled head on her shoulders and she's not just a naïve little farm girl that would let a man take advantage of her."

His frown deepens as he runs a hand through his curly hair, a nervous habit he exhibited every time he was feeling overwhelmed or stressed, and when he speaks again his voice has too much snark for her liking.

"Yeah, and we also agreed that the Dixons were bad news and that we're sure they've got their hands stuck in every big crime that happens in King's County."

Now it's her time to turn her tone cold and detached. "As far as I can remember, the only Dixon you and Shane have ever caught and proved to be mixed up in something is the older one. You're labeling him as guilty by association, and I know the man I married has better sense than that."

That seems to hit a nerve.

Rick sighs in defeat, grunting his acknowledgment before deciding to lay his head down on her lap, and Lori knows that's his way of ending the conversation and admitting he might be wrong. So she lets her long and slender fingers tangle with the hair at the base of his neck, tracing invisible patterns from there to his ear and rubbing soothing circles into his scalp while her other hand rests on his lower back. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath and Lori can't help but smile when he snuggles closer into her embrace, allowing her to take away his worries in the same way he has since they were seventeen.

The man always has loved his cuddles.

"Baby, I know you mean well and that you're only trying to look out for her, but you've got to stop looking at Beth with your Daddy Goggles on."

"But Lori," he begins, and she would be upset if she was able to detect any actual fight left in him at the moment.

She knows he's tired. Today had been his first day back at work since he'd been injured on duty and that had been stressful enough on its own. A lot of things changed in two years, and Lori had no doubt that he was feeling out of place and even more out of synch. The baby had been crying for most of the night and he'd barely gotten any sleep before he had to go. When he'd pulled into their driveway at the end of his shift, with Shane in tow, he'd only been looking for something to eat and the comfort of his home.

He had not been ready to find the familial dynamic and stability they had worked so hard to rebuild burning up in throes.

Shane's gloating and ribbing hadn't helped matters much, either.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll talk to Beth tomorrow and see what's going on with her and Daryl. She might be a little more comfortable and forthcoming talking to me than if I let you and Shane interrogate her," Lori offers, hoping desperately to avoid putting Beth through any embarrassment or feeling like she had to choose between them and her personal life.

"Please do," he pleads, and she's sure his thoughts mirror her own.

"I'll handle it, baby."

…

Lori did not, in fact, have it handled.

"I just don't see how who I'm with has anything to do with y'all."

It doesn't take an expert to tell that the young blonde is upset. They'd been working together on getting an early start on dinner when she'd tried to casually bring up the conversation over her relationship with the older man. Beth had been quietly chopping some vegetables and humming a Bob Dylan tune while Lori put away the dishes from the dishwasher when she'd asked about Daryl.

"I'm not saying it has anything to do with us, or that it's any of our business," she tries to explain, softening her voice to prove to the younger woman that she means no harm. "It's just that it kind of threw us through a loop when Daryl Dixon pulled up on our driveway to pick you up."

Beth doesn't look convinced.

"I'm not judging you," Lori promises. "We just want to make sure that you know what you're getting into and that we'll be here for support if you ever need us."

Apparently, that wasn't the right thing to say either, because Beth's fingers turn into fists around the material at the end of her pretty peach blouse. Her stance is stiff and rigid and Lori can see the sting of betrayal and hurt that she's feeling pouring right into her big blue eyes.

"Why does everybody just instantly assume that Daryl's gonna hurt me?"

"That's not what I meant."

"But that's what you said!" Beth accuses her, and Lori notices that her southern accent becomes more prominent when she's angry or emotional. "That's what everybody says. All that these random people and strangers do is come up to me and give me their opinion on something they don't know nothin' about."

Beth looks so upset and tired that Lori can't help but feel sorry for her. She knew what it was like to grow up in a small town where everyone felt entitled to publicly voice their thoughts on matters they'd only ever heard gossip about. While the spirit of community could be a wonderful thing, it could also be hell to endure. Rumors spread like wildfire and once a reputation was built, regardless of how true or false it might be, one was never able to get rid of it.

She still remembers all the things they said about her and Rick when they'd gotten married at eighteen, the same summer they graduated from high school.

Still, those hadn't been anywhere near as bad as the ones they'd spread about her and Shane while Rick had been in a coma.

"How many of them have asked you if you're only with him because he knocked you up?"

Lori gives her a knowing smile, and Beth can only blink at her in return before stuttering out a meek "what?"

"I mean, I love these people but I know they ain't very creative," she answers. "Typically when they see a couple they don't understand, their first reaction is to assume that somebody's pregnant and they're together for the baby."

Beth still looks lost and confuse with her sudden change of conversation, so Lori tries to explain it in a way that will show her that she understands what she's going through. "When Rick and I decided to get married everybody we knew thought it was a mistake. They kept telling us that we were too young and didn't know what we were doing and that we should hold on until we were older and ready."

"Then when we didn't listen and got married anyways, the first thing they did was say we got married so quickly because I was trying to hide a non-existent bump. When that proved to be false they made up another one lie, then another, until finally they got tired of us not listening to them and moved on to somebody new to bother. That was years ago, though, way before Rick joined the sheriff's department and I became an acceptable lady of society instead of a teen wife. But, from how defensive you got at me even mentioning your relationship, I'm guessing you're their current prey."

"They can be so mean," she whispers out, but the grip on her blouse loosens and her shoulders slump forward and Lori has never seen her look so _young_ before. "I don't care what people say about me; really, I don't, but Daryl does and he hates it when they make up things about me and sometimes he gets so angry that he starts believing them and talking about how I'd be better off without him."

"And it's just so stupid when he gets in those ruts and he can be so damn hardheaded and stubborn and he won't listen to me."

Now that was a cross Lori and every other woman in the world could relate to. "He's a man, honey. Every single one of them does and says things they don't mean when they're upset without thinking it through and then they cool down and come back and apologize. It's in their nature, just like it's in ours to understand and accept them for it if they deserve and earn it."

Beth is staring at her now, almost as if she was waiting for her to say something bad about Daryl and ruin the almost maternal comradery they were beginning to form. Lori can't help but wonder how long she'd been keeping in her feelings to herself, or if she even had somebody to talk about all this.

Say what you may, but every woman needed to have another one they could rely on to help with matters of the heart; somebody to talk to when the love in your life screwed up and you needed a shoulder to cry on and some chocolates and wine. Rick had told her that Beth's mother and older brother had died in a car accident four years prior, and Beth had talked about an older sister who lived in Atlanta and she barely ever saw. She was also relatively new in town, and Lori really doubted that she'd had enough time to find somebody that she really trusted to be her friend. Aside from having Daryl, the girl must have felt incredibly lonely.

She needed a mothering presence, just a little bit less than a real confidant and friend.

Lori was determined to be that for her; she owed her that and more for all the help she'd been to her family.

"Daryl may have his faults, but he is a good man," Beth finally tells her, and there's such a conviction and trust and fierceness in her words and on her face that Lori can't find a single reason to believe anything to the contrary.

"I believe you," she admits, and her smile widens when Beth's mouth drops open at her sincerity. "Now how about we put all these things away, make some hot cocoa, and you tell me all you want to about you and this man of yours, hmm? We can probably even sneak in a movie before Judith wakes up for her feeding."

Lori will never forget the way her face had brightened up with joy over her easy acceptance and the offer of a real friendship she'd been lacking for years.

"That's the best idea I've ever heard," Beth grins, wiping a tear that threatened to spill down her cheeks with the sleeve of her blouse and already pulling out the gallon of milk and two cups from the pantry. "I'll get started on these and you can pick the movie."

"Sure thing, honey," she smiles back, turning around to leave in search of a good DVD.

"And Lori?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

She sounds so happy and genuine that Lori's throat tightens and her eyes threaten to swell up with happy tears for this girl who was both everything and nothing that she appeared to be. She was unique; special, and Lori was just thankful that she'd get to be around to be a part of something that was sure to leave an incomparable mark.

"Any time."

…

**AN: Thank you so much to everybody who faved, followed, and reviewed the first chapter! I'm happy that you guys are liking it so much! I meant to update sooner but, alas, finals week was not in my favor.**

**Now this chapter is in Lori's point of view because I've always loved her character. Hope you all like this one, too. **

**Next Chapter: Mr. Dixon gets arrested, and we'll finally get some actual Beth and Daryl interactions. **

**Don't forget to review and let me know what you think! **


	3. Chapter 3

…

The sheriff's department was buzzing by the time Rick walked in.

Apparently, they'd managed to arrest not just one, but _two_, of the town's most infamous undesirables.

The air inside the building was celebratory, with proud grins flashing across every corner of the room and quick puns being exchanged as Leon Basset, the arresting officer, was congratulated and patted on the back. It was obvious that King's County felt it was a good day for Law Enforcement.

Shane, who shared the same shift he did due to being his partner, was nearly pouting.

"Just figures, you know," he grumbled, focusing his glare on the officer in question and shoving his hands inside his pockets as they head towards their desks. "Spent damn-near fifteen years tryin' to arrest this redneck asshole and Dim-Wit Basset gets the fucking glory just 'cause we were off duty at six in the morning."

"We don't even know what they're in for yet, it might just be a mistake" Rick reminds him, hoping to God that it wasn't anything too serious and already dreading the high possibility of it being so.

He'd spent the last two weeks hearing all about how the Dixons weren't as bad as they seemed. Lori had grown even closer to Beth since the two bonded over the 'hardheaded' and 'stubborn' men in their lives and the younger woman had opened up about her relationship and her troubles. Lori had done her best to reassure Rick that Beth was truly in love and happy with Daryl, relaying a few of the little things that she'd shared while still keeping the girl's confidence. His wife had taken it upon herself to ensure that his perception of the younger Dixon was changed, and she'd pleaded for him to take a chance on the other man.

Rick, for his part, thanked all his lucky stars and every god he could think of that he hadn't been the one to arrest him.

There just wasn't any way, regardless of how it was his job and duty and legal obligation, that his wife and the girl he saw almost as a daughter would understand it. He'd be made out to be the bad guy, and if there was one thing all of the women in his life excelled at (from Lori's cold and betrayed stare to the way Beth's big blue eyes would glisten with hurt and the way Judith's bottom lip would tremble for a few warning seconds before she started to cry), it was dishing out a guilt trip that would make even the most hardened men he knew drop to their knees and beg for forgiveness.

Hell, he was pretty sure he was already in deep-water as it was, simply for wearing the uniform and badge he did and sharing a brotherhood with the men who had committed this _treason_ (because he had no doubt that's the way they'd see it), even though he hadn't been aware of what was going on until he'd reported for duty ten minutes ago.

Life could just suck that way sometimes.

Shane scoffs in disbelief, dropping himself onto his chair. "You think Daryl Dixon got arrested by _mistake_? Really, now?"

"Could happen," Rick shrugs, taking a seat on his own chair and pulling up a file that'd been placed on his desk. A frown forms on his face when he reads the name printed across the top, Carol Peletier, and he wonders just what her useless drunk of a husband had done to her this time. Reports of suspected abuse regarding the sweet older woman used to come quick and often, but as time passed by and she refused to leave the man, the claims had slowed until the majority of the people in town gave up on her.

For there to be an actual report on his desk, Carol had to be in pretty bad shape.

He hands over the file to Shane, who loses all his bravado and surly attitude, immediately turning serious once he reads the subject matter.

"We need to go check up on her," he states, already getting off his seat and grabbing for the first aid kit he kept hidden away inside the bottom drawer of his old filing cabinet. "Who knows what the hell that bastard did to her this time. I just wish she'd trust us to help instead of always protecting his worthless ass."

Now, see, this was the Shane Walsh that he saw and remembered every time his best friend managed to cross the line.

Yes, Shane could be obnoxious and he didn't always watch his mouth and he was rough around the edges. Yes, he was hotheaded and a smartass and he was quick to act without thinking of the consequences. Yes, he was judgmental and he held grudges and he would never admit when he'd made a mistake and he always thought he was right and everyone else was wrong.

Yes, he was all those things, but he was also _more_.

Shane was the boy who'd had his back all throughout middle school, way back when Rick had been a scrawny little kid who'd liked to read Goosebumps and Encyclopedia Brown books instead of playing sports and was easy pickings for the schoolyard bullies. He was the one who'd convinced the Varsity Football coach to give him a chance when they'd been Juniors in high school and Shane had been the star quarterback in an otherwise exclusively Senior team.

Shane was the one who'd encouraged him to chase after Lori that same year, and when they'd gotten married two years later, he'd been his Best Man and one of his legal witnesses. And yes, this man who'd delivered the most outrageous and embarrassing speech at his wedding was the same one whose eyes had turned red and wet with the promise of tears when Rick had asked him to be his newborn son's godfather, nodding his head and pulling him into a heartfelt embrace.

He was the one who'd given up his date on a Saturday night with the 'hottest pair of tits on this side of Georgia' because Rick had nearly destroyed the entire pluming system underneath his home and flooded his basement while trying to clean out a clogged up drain.

He was the one who'd looked after his family and kept them safe and sane while Rick had lied out in a hospital, deep in his coma.

Maybe the best way for him to explain Shane was by that first aid kit he'd always kept.

It's the one he uses when he got beaten up on the job and was too prideful to admit he needed help getting an injury cleaned up because he wanted to impress the nurses down at the hospital. He'd grunt and swallow his pain and patch himself up rather than admit defeat or let anyone think he was weak.

But it was also the one he took with him whenever they got a call for a domestic dispute.

It was the same one Rick had seen him pull out when one of the victims was in obvious need of medical assistance but refused to ask for help out of fear or shame or any other number of reasons. He'd lost count of how many times he'd witnessed his partner soothe a burn mark or clean an open cut or a nasty bruise with soft hands and a gentle touch. Rick couldn't remember how many times those women had looked at Shane as if he was their Knight in Shining Armor, riding in on his patrol car to save them for at least a few minutes.

So, at the end of the day it didn't really matter how badly he screwed up or what kind of bullshit he did or said, because Shane was his _brother_.

He was _family_, and always would be.

"Yeah," Rick agrees, reaching for the file from his partner's desk and pocketing his keys. "Maybe we can convince her to let us help while Ed's being held in custody."

They're almost out the door when a clearly anguished, but surprisingly still melodic, voice stops both officers on their tracks.

"Sheriff Grimes."

He had heard that voice so often lately that there was no way he'd be able to confuse it. "Beth," he answers, turning around to give the petite blonde his full attention.

"Can I speak to you for a moment, please?"

Rick shifts on his feet, already knowing what was coming his way and hoping desperately to avoid what was sure to be a disappointing conversation. "Beth, if this is about Daryl getting arrested you have to know that I can't discuss details of the case with you. To be honest, I don't even know what charges he's here for yet."

Her wide blue eyes harden, and he doesn't miss the way she seems to plant her feet firmly onto the floor; a visual representation of her standing her ground and preparing herself for a fight. "He's only here because he was being a good man. That ain't a crime."

"No, Miss," a voice pipes in from her right side, and Rick glares when he realizes it's Basset, still full of unearned arrogance, who decided to jump into their conversation. "But beating a man to near death surely is."

"He didn't do that!" she snaps back, lifting her hand to point an accusing finger at the man handcuffed and slumped inside one of the holding cells with his head pressed against the bars. "Daryl only hit him once. The only reason that man passed out is because he was drunk outta his mind."

"You're a lyin' bitch!" yells out Ed Peletier, but all his words are slurred and the open leer on his face makes Rick have to fight off the urge to go over to his cell and hit him square in the jaw when he adds, "you should bring your sweet ass over here and let me teach you sum' manners."

"Ya' best shut your fucking mouth," answers another voice, and it doesn't surprise Rick in the slightest to see two officers already rushing over to push Daryl Dixon back into his seat and as far away from Ed as possible. He doesn't know why he's not in a holding cell as well, but figures it more than likely had something to do with the fierce blonde standing in front of him refusing to leave her lover's side or let him be mistreated. Sure, he was handcuffed, but Rick had no doubt that if Daryl really wanted to leave or fight back, the thin pieces of metal attached to his wrist wouldn't be a greatly detrimental obstruction in his path.

"Can we talk?" Beth repeats again, and the only thing he can do is nod his head and signal for Shane to follow them into one of the two available interview rooms. The last thing he wanted was for someone to question his credibility due to the obvious soft spot he had for Beth, and his partner would be the best man to prove the truth behind the girl's statement. They'd be able to listen to what she had to say and debate over whether her story had merit or not. Rick hated that he had to doubt her word, but it was his duty to remain fair and impartial.

He was not allowed to look the other way just because a person he cared about was in love with somebody who was in custody.

And God knew Shane would never raise a finger to help Daryl Dixon or Ed Peletier get out of something he thought they deserved.

Once they're all sitting down in the privacy of the room and he's pulled out a pen and a notepad to write down her statements, Rick turns a soft and encouraging glance at the girl. "Go ahead, Beth; tell us what happened."

She takes a deep breath, forcing herself to relax and take control of her emotions in order to explain everything as clearly as she can. Beth meets both of their stares, flicking her eyes between the two officers, and then she begins.

"Daryl and I were having breakfast at the William's Diner. Carol was our waitress and we were both worried when we noticed how bruised up she was. I tried to talk ask her if she needed help but she just shrugged me off and said she was fine, that she'd tripped down some steps and it was nothing to worry about."

"You don't get a black eye and handprint on your neck from falling down steps," Beth pauses, swallowing down the lump that has formed in her throat before continuing her story. "Daryl was angry; we both were, but he said that we shouldn't try an' force ourselves into her life until she was ready to move on, otherwise we'd just end up causing more problems for her."

"What happened after?" questions Shane, and Rick is glad to see that he's giving Beth all of the attention and seriousness that she deserved, instead of looking at her with the critical eye he'd had on her since finding out how young she was and her relationship with the Dixons.

Rick doesn't miss the way the girl flinches and drops her gaze to her lap, unable to meet their stares for the first time since they'd all walked into the room, and a sinking feeling settles in the bottom of his stomach at the obvious hurt she was going through.

"I had to go to the bathroom and when I came out I bumped into Ed. He'd come in from the backdoor the staff uses to take out the trash into the ally. I couldn't stop myself from glaring at him over what he'd done to Carol and I guess he knew why I was so angry because the next thing I know he had me shoved up against a wall."

Beth stops talking again, but then she forces herself to look up at him and Shane and Rick had never seen her look as angry or brave as she did in that moment, all traces of fear and embarrassment wiped out from her delicate features.

"I told him only a coward would ever hurt somebody the way he did, and he laughed and said all he'd done was set his wife back in her place. He said a pretty little thing like me probably needed a man to show me my place since I talked back and was running all around town letting a Dixon put his hands on me," her voice takes on a darker edge, full of loathing for the man who was detained a few feet away from her. "He said maybe after a good spankin' I would learn how to keep my mouth shut, and I told him I wasn't afraid of him."

"Beth," Rick interrupts her, placing the pen back on the desk before giving her all the silent comfort he could offer her at the moment. He's scanning her body for any traces of evidence that that vile man had physically hurt her, using every ounce of self-control he has to keep his own temper in check, and he knows his partner is doing the same. "Did he… did he hurt you?"

"No," Beth is quick to reassure him, offering a small smile to show him that she was okay. "He tried to shove his hand under my shirt but that's when Daryl came looking for me and saw what Ed was doing. I wasn't lying when I said he only hit him once and then he was out cold on the floor. He wanted to keep hitting him, I'm not gonna lie and say he didn't, but I didn't let Daryl touch him once he was unconscious."

"Did you tell all this to the Officer Basset?" questions Shane, but they both already know the answer to that question. Honestly, they just need to have her sworn statement for the record.

"I did," she answers immediately, and then the fury is back in full force. "I tried to tell him and he just shoved me off, told me it was a federal crime to lie to protect my boyfriend, and that if I wanted to get involved with a criminal I should start getting' used to watching him get arrested and locked up. Nobody called the police, and the only reason he was there in the first place was because he's been trying to get in Sasha's pants for months even though she's made it clear that she ain't interested."

Rick releases a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been keeping in, and he's thankful when Shane excuses himself to give Beth some space.

Now he finds himself sitting alone with a tiny girl in this tiny room with eggshell white walls and a single metal table. The place is designed to make people uncomfortable, but Beth Greene is sitting there with her pale pink blouse and long blonde hair falling in waves around her shoulders and she looks anything but scared. She's waiting for him to say something, and he can tell that she won't say another word until he does.

The only thing Rick can think of is how he never wants to see her in this room again.

Beth Greene does not belong anywhere near a jail cell, and neither did Daryl Dixon.

Not for this, not for defending the woman he loved from an abusive drunk who found glee in demeaning his wife. Definitely not to appease the ego of a bad cop looking to make a name for himself and was willing to twist the law and reality to fill his own needs.

"Is that how it is all the time?" he asks, and Beth looks at him and tilts her head in confusion. "People bothering you and making assumptions, because of your relationship?"

"Yes," she answers honestly.

Rick grunts in disbelief, lifting his hand to run his fingers through his hair and feeling anger at them and at himself for giving this girl such a hard time. "You should have told me. I could have talked to them and told them to leave you alone."

His eyes snap up to hers when he hears a soft giggle leave her throat. He stares at her, before asking in confusion, "What's so funny?"

"You," she answers, and the sweet laughter is back as she truly relaxes in her seat for the first time today. "You and Daryl; everyone thinks of you two as these two badasses but you're just big softies underneath it all."

A smile forms on his lips, and it turns into a grin when he mulls over her words and realizes just how true they are. "Beth Greene, did you just _curse_?"

"Sorry!" she blushes immediately, lifting her hands to cover her mouth in embarrassment but unable to hide her wide smile. "I guess Daryl's influence manages to show itself on me at random times."

A soft knock on the door draws both their attentions, and Rick looks up to see Shane walking into the room again.

"Everything's been cleared up with Basset," he informs them, before turning his stare back to Beth and giving her a small and apologetic smile. "Dixon's free to go, and he's waiting for you outside, ma'am."

Beth nods, immediately standing up from her seat and turning to face both officers. "Thank you," she says, and explains at their confused expressions. "For listening and believing me even though you didn't have to."

Rick nods, stepping out of the way to allow her to pass by and Shane stands there dumbfounded and speechless, before finally finding his voice again. "I know she just thanked us, but did you feel like she was really scolding us the way my Grandma Jean used to when we'd leave mud on her floor and had to clean it up?"

Rick laughs, and Shane can't help but join in.

"Welcome to my life, brother."

…

**AN: This chapter ended completely different than what I'd originally planned. I like it, though, and I was really prompted to dig a little into Shane's character. Still, I know I owe you guys more Beth/Daryl moments so next chapter will definitely focus on that. **

**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and I hope you continue to enjoy these updates! Also, it's a little weird, but I'd really appreciate if you all gave a try to a new story I posted called "The Good Left Undone". It's a post "Coda" storyline and I'm super excited to write that as well. **

**Don't forget to review!**


	4. Chapter 4

…

Sometimes, Daryl couldn't believe this was his life now.

It didn't make sense that a man like him, old and gruff and dirty and every other thing that fell into that category, a man who'd never had a shred of luck or a pure, good thing in his shitty existence had somehow managed to end up with somebody like _Beth_.

…

He doesn't know what he did to deserve her; Lord knows he has a list full of regrets that should send her and any other person with a lick of sense to their name running from him, but by some fucking miracle from a god he don't believe in, none of those things matter to her.

She doesn't care that he's a Dixon.

Doesn't care that his bastard father drank himself to death after tormenting his sons for almost twenty years. Doesn't care that his brother's a drug addict who's always pushing pills and getting into bad shit when he's not locked up or out of the state. Doesn't care when he takes her to his place for the first time and it's plain as day that he's never had anything close to the beautiful life of comfort filled with love she'd grown up in.

She doesn't even give him a chance to apologize or feel sorry for himself over it.

"The places, and the people," she'd told him while they stood on the front porch steps, using her arms to signal his beaten down house before one of her hands wrapped around the heart-shaped silver locket that hanged from her neck; the same one that carried a picture of her long deceased mother and brother inside. "They don't define who we were, or who we are. Only we can do that."

Daryl had hesitated, hating the thought of having someone as good as Beth inside the house where so much hurt had been done to him and to every other person who'd ever stepped foot in it: a place where nothing good had ever happened and which he'd spent half his life wanting to burn down. If he was superstitious he'd say the damned place was haunted, destined to bring out the worst in people and corrupt them to the core.

He didn't want that for her. He'd rather lose her before he ever let Beth turn into a newer version of every other Dixon woman in history, all those who'd checked out of life either doped up or drowned in a bottle.

"Ya' don't belong here," he'd tried to explain, rubbing the back of his neck to ease the tension bunching up in his shoulders. "Too much bad shit's happened in there for someone like ya to even think 'bout it."

Beth hadn't relented. "Those bad memories, we can change them. We can make better ones and wipe out all the bad stuff."

"Don't know if that much bad can be wiped out."

"Then we'll fix it up and sell it," she'd answered, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek on his chest. "We can find a new house that'll be just ours and we can fill it with all the memories we want. You and me, we're gonna have a beautiful life."

She'd looked at him with her big blue eyes then, full of trust and faith and _love_ for him, and Daryl believed her.

And this _woman_, because that's what she was and not some little girl that everyone tried to make her out to be, had taken his world and flipped it upside down.

…

They'd had that conversation over a year ago.

Beth hadn't even been nineteen yet and she'd still been living in her Daddy's farm. They'd both known they weren't quite ready to start living together yet and neither had wanted to rush into anything.

It wasn't that they doubted they loved each other and wanted to have a life together.

No.

It'd been that both knew that it took more than just Love to make a relationship work. This was the first adult relationship that she'd ever had and Daryl couldn't remember ever having anything close to being called a commitment in his own life.

All he'd ever known was how to be on his own. He'd never had to worry about somebody waiting for him at home or about checking in just to reassure them that he was safe and alive and missing them. He was used to being able to come and go as he pleased. If he was pissed he'd take his bike and crossbow and disappear into the woods for days until he was feeling settled again. Or maybe he'd go to Martinez' bar and drink until he was shit-faced, only to stumble back through his door and crash onto his bed with the morning light's rays.

He didn't know how to spend all his time with somebody: how to deal with all the bad memories he carried without lashing out and releasing all his pent up anger onto the closest person nearby unless he checked out of the real world for days at a time.

Daryl couldn't do that to Beth.

He wouldn't have her sitting alone at home, worried out of her mind for him while he was off doing something stupid or coming back just to be a dick. As much as he'd wanted her next to him, he knew he had to put in the work to try and better himself before he dragged her into something that would only hurt them both in the end.

Beth's own situation had been the opposite.

She'd been the baby in a family that embodied everything the Dixons were not.

She was the southern belle whose family worked together to run their farm and went to Sunday morning mass, where she sang in the choir. She was the sweet and pretty girl who rode horses and baked cookies and planted gardens and played the piano. She loved kids and writing in her journal and she had a way of making her presence feel like a gift.

But she was also the girl who'd lost her mom and brother when she was sixteen. She was the girl who'd slit her wrist and tried to take her life because of the same thing. She was the girl who'd felt alone ever since, and she was only thing her Daddy had left after her older sister had taken off instead of helping her family heal. She was the girl who was afraid of breaking even more of her father's heart when she'd eventually leave home and the Greene patriarch would be alone.

Daryl understood because Beth was like his own personal ray of sunshine, all brightness and warmth and bringing a light into his life that he'd never had before, so he could only imagine what she meant to the man who'd loved and protected her since the day she was born.

Beth couldn't do that to her father. She couldn't just leave home without trying to prove to her Daddy first that she was moving on to a life with a man who loved her and would cherish her the way she deserved. That she was building her own home with a man who would take care of her and make her happy even when her heart hurt. That he didn't have to spend his days worried over the well-being of his little girl.

So they'd taken their time and done things right.

Daryl had swallowed down his pride and asked Beth for help looking for books on treating victims of child abuse. They'd sat down with a highlighter and half a dozen books that she'd ordered online and arrived by mail in discrete brown packaging and they'd helped each other be better. He'd gone to meet her father and stayed over for dinner and didn't make a single smartass comment as Hershel Greene had stared him down and asked him about his intentions towards his daughter. He'd kept coming back until the man was satisfied that he loved her and wasn't using her as some sort of sick game.

Beth held him when he was angry and listened when he started yelling and she was never afraid of yelling right back and setting him straight when he was being an ass or trying to push her around.

It wasn't until they were both confident that they were ready that she moved in.

Together, they'd learned how to be happy.

…

The house was unrecognizable.

It used to be that it would cause shame.

The windows were always dirty with a thick layer of soot from not being properly washed in years and the grass was always overgrown and dried up and full of weeds and dandelions. There were always dozens of unfinished cigarette butts and a couple of beer bottles scattered throughout the yard. The chain around the beaten up, black front gate was always locked up tight and the light on the porch was always off, warning everyone to stay the fuck away.

Never, in the past thirty-somethin' years that this house had belonged to a Dixon, had there been Christmas lights hanging from the roof.

The house wasn't in a good neighborhood.

Shit, it wasn't even on a decent street.

Will Dixon had made sure that his house was as far away and isolated as possible. The single-floor structure sat at the end of an empty street and the lot next to it had been abandoned since long before they'd moved in. The nearest house was nearly a quarter mile down the road and the backyard bordered the edge of the woods. It'd been a good place for the deadbeat to stash his drugs and bring his bints and the woods had served as a damn-straight flawless escape route whenever things went to shit for him.

The place looking pretty had never been a high priority.

And that wasn't the only thing that'd changed.

The front gate had a fresh coat of shiny black paint that they'd spent their Saturday morning working on. The grass is manageable and instead of bottles and cigarettes there are now dividers set firmly in place along the borders of the yard, forming the outline of what would undoubtedly be a full-blown garden come spring. Even the fucking windows had been scrubbed down and now he's pretty damn sure that if Merle ever came back around he'd start yelling about how his baby brother either lost his mind or sold the house while he was gone.

He makes his way towards the front door, reaching for the keys inside his jean's right pocket and grinning when the second step on the porch still creaks under the strain of his weight, a little reminder that this place wasn't the quite perfect yet, but was getting damn close to it. There's still things he has to fix, but they're so small in comparison to all the changes they've made and all the work they've put in that Daryl's almost tempted to just let them be. Some things were just part of the package and didn't need to be fixed. They gave the house character and made it unique.

He takes a step inside, looks around the room, and can't stop the laugh that rumbles out of his lungs.

Because there's a tree in his living room.

There is a fucking _Christmas_ tree in the corner of _his_ living room.

The same tree that he and Beth had picked out from Dale's tree lot and tied to the back of his pickup truck.

The thing is nearly six-feet tall and it's decorated with red and golden ornaments and a pearl-tinted ribbon wrapped around it. Little white doves are hanging from it and instead of a star there's a carefully placed angel at the top. Underneath it there's about a dozen neatly-wrapped presents in different shapes and sizes, and every single one of them has a shiny bow and a small card attached that Beth had agonized over until she was certain that it was sitting just right.

The tree is right by the window, where Merle's favorite recliner had sat for the past fifteen years and where his brother had spent more nights sleeping off his benders than anybody could remember. The couch was different, too. It wasn't new or like one of those expensive as shit ones he'd seen in magazines and in fancy furniture stores but it was long and clean and the big brown cushions had quickly become one of his favorite places to relax as Beth curled her body against his and cuddled into him.

"I didn't hear ya come in."

She's smiling at him, just like she always is, and walking towards him so she can greet him properly with a kiss. Her face lights up like he's the best thing she's ever seen and even though Daryl knows he'll never really understand what he'd done to deserve it, he's sworn to himself that he'll do everything in his power to never lose that gift.

"You're losing your touch, woman," he teases her, pulling her closer until she's clinging to his neck and wrapping her legs around him.

"No way," Beth laughs, leaning forwards until their foreheads are briefly touching and then leaning back so he can watch her grin. "I think you were just using your super stealthy hunter moves to try and steal some muffins outta the kitchen."

"Ya caught me," he deadpans.

Her smile turns wicked. "You might want to watch the pastries, babe. All that butter and flour will go straight to your hips."

It takes him a second to catch on to her meaning.

"Are ya implyin' I'm getting fat?" he asks incredulously.

"All I'm saying is that it's real easy to see that you love my home cooking and baking."

Daryl scowls, settling them both down onto the couch with Beth firmly draped across his lap and his hands on her hips. "Girl, you ain't never had no complaints 'bout me before."

"Well, duh," she retorts, completely with an eye roll and a little shrug of her shoulders. "That's because I'd love you even if ya looked like Saint Nick."

He doesn't hesitate.

Daryl flips them over and now her back is pressed against the soft cushions as his hips keep her pinned in place. Pure instinct has her spreading her legs to accommodate his waist and his ego fills with pride when one of his hands caresses the length of her thigh and goosebumps spread across her skin.

"Ya were sayin'?" he trails off, grinning at the same time that is hips grind down against hers and his need for her manifests inside his jeans. He's holding the rest of his weight off of her, waiting to see just what his playful lover had planned up her sleeve.

"This here is cheating," she mock pouts. "Keep it up and I'm hidin' one of your gifts."

He pulls back, arching his eyebrows before he remembers the little surprise he'd run into while looking for a box of bolts last week. "Are we talking about that little box you've got tucked away at the top of the bedroom closet?"

Beth's eyes widen and the bright and fierce blush that spreads across her cheeks is enough to make him seriously contemplate leaving his place between her thighs for a few seconds, just enough time to see what the hell his little minx had done to invoke such an instant and visible reaction.

"Please tell me you haven't opened it."

"I didn't," he shakes his head, knowing by the gleam that's returned to her gaze that whatever it is will surely throw him for a loop. "You seriously ain't gonna let me see what it is, yet?"

The smile she gives him lets Daryl know her gift will surely land them in every Naughty list in existence.

"Let's just say that you're about to have a _very_ merry Christmas, Mr. Dixon."

He doesn't doubt her for a second.

…

**AN: Hey everybody!**

**Sorry for the delay. This chapter gave me absolutely hell, but I think I finally got it to something that served Daryl and Beth justice. I hope you all like it as well. I really wanted to establish how they'd worked on themselves before actually living together because that gives me the ability to write them as couple who is in a comfortable and understanding relationship, like I did at the end of the chapter.**

**I'm also writing another story called "High & Low" in which the opposite happens, and it's a little bit more mature than this one but I think you guys might like it. **

**Anyways, don't forget to review!**

**Thanks for reading! **


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